Police support 'playful protest' after complaint over pavement chalk

Last Saturday, a number of children took advantage of the nice weather and made pavement chalk drawings in the street. That was not to the liking of a local resident. He did not want the chalk in front of his door. He asked the children's father to remove the drawings. When that did not happen, the man called the police.

Graffiti

"Since this was a neighbourhood dispute, our officers attended the scene," says Aalst police spokesperson Lisa Wynendaele. "Officers always try to mediate in such cases and find a solution that both parties can agree to." In the end, the father, in consultation with the police, decided to remove the children's drawings using a little water. "We never forced the man to do it. It's just a suggestion to keep the peace."

Pavement chalk drawings on public roads are not prohibited. "It is not comparable to graffiti. Pavement chalk does not leave any permanent damage. There is no legal framework to deal with it.  That means you can’t get a charge sheet or a nuisance fine."

After the children's father removed the drawings, the dad decided to tell his story on social media. His tale was shared by a whole host of local people. That led to plans to organise a world pavement chalk championship this weekend.

"A playful protest like that is so typical of our city," Wynendaele says. "It is nice that people want to give colour the streets. Moreover, it is a call to let children just be children. We can only support an initiative like this."

The police even plan to make some chalk drawings of their own in the car park in front of the police station.